Now here is a nice Celtic album that give us good variety. John Whelan, playing the accordion, is joined by performers including Oscar Lopez on guitar, Jerry O'Sullivan on uillean pipes and Denny McDermott on drums, plus haunting vocals by Bernadette Peters and Connie Dover, to give us a good blend of songs and instrumentals which spin their melodies around the ears and through the heart.

Flirting with the Edge starts with an energetic and toe-tapping romp, a medley of reels "January's Journey" and "DD's Car." From there, we move to more contemporary scores, such as "The Heather in the Wind," and a melody of polkas: "Flirting with the Edge," "Rockaway Beach" and "Emmett's Revenge."

While most of the fifteen tracks are good swinging reels and contemporary musical scores, there are two lyrical compositions, both of which are very well done. Connie Dover's voice on "Red is the Rose" helps the song to float its way into your heart, while the incredible Broadway singer Bernadette Peters lends her voice to the sad tale of "The Dublin Lady."

This album is sure to give the Celtic fan good listening pleasure with both its upbeat tracks and quieter pieces. Over all, the album has a good arrangement, whisking listeners away on a collection of tunes that flow very well from one into another. This is definitely one of those albums for a light Sunday afternoon around the house or for casual gatherings, a good listen that should delight any diehard Celtic music fan as well as those who are looking for a little extra world flavor to their music.